


plantful

by drippinggold



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Jaemin plays football, Jaemin understands, Just Happy Fun Times, M/M, Mark is briefly mentioned, No Angst, Renhyuck soulmates, Renjun can talk to plants, Renjun has a crush, Somewhere, and T for swearing lol, but like he's there, jaemin best boy, not American football, so is Jeno, thank you Mark Lee for the title what a legend, thats it that's the plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25480687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drippinggold/pseuds/drippinggold
Summary: Renjun can talk to plants.It's not something he likes to brag about. In fact, he tries to hide it. But it's getting harder to do so when his crush, Na Jaemin, keeps randomly appearing out of nowhere at just the right moments.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Comments: 76
Kudos: 334





	plantful

**Author's Note:**

> i dont know much about plants and gardening but here i am, writing about plants and gardening
> 
> (oh and the the plants talk in italics so yeah just keep that in mind hehe)

_“It’s crazy, Renjun! Absolutely crazy!”_

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

_“This girl just stalked up to the poppies and culled their flowers! So carefully! So lovingly!”_

If someone had told Renjun that he’d be spending more than half of his break time in highschool tending to plants while listening to their annoying chatter, he surely would’ve laughed at them.

_“Like, am I not pretty enough?”_

But he also would’ve set himself to be a fool.

“ _I_ _’m a_ daisy _, for pollen’s sake! Would you have chosen a plain ol’ poppy or a timeless_ and _elegant daisy?”_

Because, as of the moment, he’s spending more than half of his break time tending to plants while listening to their annoying chatter.

Renjun sighs and raises the watering can over the patch of red pansies to his right.

“ _Answer me, Renjun!”_

The shrill shriek echoes around in his mind. Renjun flinches and tries his best not to cover his ears because it would look weird (really _really_ weird) if he were to cover his ears when he was all alone in the open garden near the football field where dozens of students are loitering and playing around.

So he answers as quietly and as inconspicuously as he can. “I would’ve chosen neither because one, you’re too full of yourself and two, the poppies are hella noisy. Noisier than you and that’s saying something.”

The vegetable plants to the far right of the garden snigger and chortle, which brings a grimace to Renjun’s face and elicits an offended gasp from the daisy.

(And look, Renjun would’ve loved for everything to be a hilarious dream. He would’ve loved it if he didn’t have the ability to talk to noisy daisies and hear them gasping over mocking laughter from vegetable plants. But Renjun’s neither normal nor lucky. So, of course, this isn’t a dream. And of _fucking_ course he had the infuriating ability to talk to noisy daisies and hear them gasping over mocking laughter from vegetable plants.)

“ _R_ _enjun! How dare you?”_ The daisy sways slightly to the right, a leaf curled towards its stem in typical offended fashion. Well. In typical _plant_ offended fashion. “ _I grew an inch taller and even convinced my sisters to grow some of themselves on empty patches and_ this _is how you repay me?”_

Renjun puts down the watering can and levels the daisy with a stare. “You do know that I didn’t ask anything from you, right? I don’t owe you anything. At all.”

 _“Now that’s just rude,”_ the daisy huffs and straightens her stem, the petals on her head bouncing. _“You’re rude, Renjun. Isn’t he rude, Donghyuck?”_

Renjun stands up and whirls around.

“Dammit!” Donghyuck cranes his neck to narrow his eyes accusingly at the daisies at Renjun's foot. “It was the daisy, wasn’t it?”

Renjun raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms at his best friend (read: soulmate). “Sneaking up is never gonna work on me. These guys could sense you from a mile away.”

“They could’ve played along, at least,” Donghyuck shrugs, his bangs flopping over his eyes. Renjun’s been telling him to cut his hair but evidently, Donghyuck doesn’t care about his opinions at all. He keeps on telling Renjun that he’s going for a new and fresher look. Renjun keeps on telling him that he sucks.

“I’m gonna stop talking to them and watering them if they do,” Renjun raises his tone and glances around, trying to make his threat clear to all the plants in the garden. Some of them cower, swaying to an invisible breeze, while some of them giggle, petals and leaves bouncing.

 _“_ And when you do, I’m gonna take your place,” Donghyuck slings his arm around Renjun’s shoulders, wiggling his eyebrows at the garden plants. “How does that sound?”

Now, Donghyuck can’t talk to plants. Renjun hasn’t decided whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. But he’s one of the few people outside the Huang family who knows about the secret power. And one of the few who believes them and doesn’t make fun of them (and for that, Renjun is heartwarmingly grateful but he won’t say something so sappy to Hyuck’s face).

The daisy below them pretends to think, the leaves on her stem miming the thinking motion. _“That’ll be great and all, Donghyuck. But sadly, you can’t talk to us which will greatly diminish your potential to care for us optimally.”_

Renjun doesn’t know (or want to know) what the daisy’s talking about but he relays it to Hyuck anyway, who nods and hums thoughtfully as if he’s really considering this conversation he’s having with a leafy, living thing that sticks out of the ground.

“That is true butㅡ”

_Rrrrrriiinggggg!_

Saved by the fucking bell, Renjun thinks as he sighs and dusts off his hands. Donghyuck groans at the reminder that they have to go back to class. And Donghyuck being Donghyuck, he doesn’t retreat immediately with Renjun but instead crouches down to the daisies to whisper something to them.

Renjun sighs and stomps back to him, trying to drag him away by his uniform. “Let’s go, Hyuck! You can talk to them more later.”

“ㅡand can you please not tell Renjun I’m sneaking up behind him next time? I’ll bring you all some very delicious fertilizer next weeㅡ”

“Hyuck!”

🌱

“Look, Renjun,” Donghyuck sets his trowel down and stares at the football field. “The football team.”

The dreamy tone that the other is talking in is leading Renjun to believe that Donghyuck is, in fact, not staring at the football field but rather at the team _occupying_ said field. It’s a waste of time, staring at sweaty, sporty boys right now so naturally, Renjun doesn’t look.

“Yeah, wow,” Renjun deadpans, concentrating hard on the weeds he’s pulling out of a supposedly empty patch. He tries hard not to cringe every time a weed begs him not to pull it out.

Donghyuck sighs and before Renjun could react, has his hands (wet and grimy from the dirt which is fucking disgusting) on his face, forcing him to look at sweaty, sporty boys.

“Don’t ‘yeah wow’ me with that uninterested tone of yours!” Donghyuck hisses like a stern, authoritarian stepmother.

“Ew, Hyuck! Gross! Let go!” Renjun bats at Donghyuck’s hands (still wet and slimy and disgusting), careful not to get any dirt from his own hands on his face.

“I told you to look!”

“And I will! Just get your dirty hands off of me!”

“You’re such a babyㅡ”

Their screaming match is interrupted by a football ball whizzing past their faces and landing on a patch of orange poppies.

The poppies cry out, their wailing like nails on chalkboard to Renjun’s ears. Renjun winces and covers his ears with his hands.

_“No! We’re dying! So very dreadful! My flowers! My poor sisters!”_

_“Haha! Take that, poppies! Now we, the daisies, will rule this gardenㅡ”_

“That’s gotta be loud as heck,” Donghyuck mutters as he shoots Renjun a look before approaching the poppies to assess the damage and at the same time, calm their crying down.

The ball rolls to Renjun’s feet and he spares it a glance before dropping his hands from his ears.

 _“Renjun! The poppies_ totally _deserved that! You agree with me, don’t you? Hey! Renjun! Agree with me!”_

Renjun turns away from the ball to hiss at the daisies. “Shut up! You’re so noisy!”

“I wasn’t talking butㅡ”

Renjun raises his head so fast he almost cracks his neck.

“I’m so sorry about your flowers.”

Renjun’s eyes go wide as he looks at the figure crouching beside him to pick up the ball. The figure is wearing a loose jersey shirt and tight (Renjun should not have noticed this but alas) black shorts. He picks up the ball with ease and straightens with some kind of bewitching grace. His hair is brown but almost golden in the sunlight and his eyes are deep and wonderful like chocolate, crinkling at the edges to match his wide yet shy smile.

Renjun gulps then looks away, a hand scratching the back of his neck. Because he’s goddamn shy and because the guy in front of him is none other than Na Jaemin, the _only_ fuck he gives about sweaty, sporty guys prancing around on football fields. Handsome with a heart of gold, charismatic and friendly, refreshing like a spring breezeㅡNa Jaemin. Na Jaemin, his, dare he says itㅡ

_“Oh, Renjun! That’s your crush, isn’t it?”_

_“How would you know that, you narcissistic daisy?”_

_“I have eyes, duh. I see and know everything!”_

Renjun’s pretty sure plants don’t have eyes but he doesn’t correct them. (You see, the way plants ‘see’ is by feeling the earth and the vibrations around them to create images in their mind. They can also feel through Renjun because as it turns out, this ability of his does not only allow him to communicate with plants but also establishes a one-way telepathic connection wherein the plants get to understand Renjun’s emotions. It sounds really unfair but it’s whatever.)

_“Renjun? You’re blushing? Oh my dewdrop, you’re blushing! This is so cute!”_

_“Crush?”_

_“Renjun’s crush?”_

_“Where?”_

_“What’s a ‘crush’?”_

The last one came from a small and newly-sprouted pansy but it irritates Renjun all the same. He clears his throat awkwardly to let the plants know that they should all shut the hell up before he stomps on them.

_“Ohhhh. He feels cute! I like him.”_

_“I like the feel of his bone structure.”_

_“Meh. I’ve seen better.”_

_“He feels like what a perfect human would feel like.”_

_“He plays with balls, doesn’t he? He's probably a grass-stomper.”_

He feels an incoming headache. Renjun sighs and brings his hand to his temples to massage them, the football player in front of him fading in the background. Renjun doesn’t consider being able to talk to plants a gift. No, he considers it more like a punishment, an everlasting rain cloud looming overhead, or an itch he will never be able to scratch to gain relief. Or that foreboding yellow hue creeping up on the clear case of Renjun’s phone.

In short, irritating and aggravating as fuck.

So, he finds it hard to remain focused on a particular task (or person) especially when he’s outdoors, surrounded by plants and their loud chatter.

“Oh no, are you hurt? Did the ball hit you? I’m so sorry! Do you need to go to the clinic?”

The hand massaging his temples stills. Renjun’s eyes go wide with the realization that yes, Na Jaemin is still very much in front of him, golden beauty and all. Renjun curses the plants again for invading his senses and subsequently disrupting his grasp of time and place. Sometimes, being privy to a plant's thoughts (and thus, ideas) does that to somebody. It’s weird but Renjun can talk to freaking plants so nothing fazes him as much anymore.

Renjun clears his throat again and brings his hand down from his temples, ready to face Na Jaemin (his crush) and talk to Na Jaemin (his crush).

“I’m fine,” Renjun brings himself to look at Na Jaemin (his crush) which is a mistake, really, because once he takes in the football player’s warm brown eyes and his bright smile, he looks away again. And oh my god, he’s blushing again. He feels his cheek warm and grits his teeth.

“And you don’t have to worry about the plants,” Renjun adds when all he’s met with is awkward silence. Renjun shifts his head so he’s half facing Jaemin and half facing the ruined patch of poppies that Donghyuck is currently tending to.

 _“Yes he has! He has to apologize, Renjun,”_ the bent poppies moan and wail in his mind. _“Or else we’llㅡ”_

_“We’ll stop growing!”_

_“Yeah! We’ll move somewhere else!”_

Renjun can’t find it himself to remind the flowers that they would still need his help if they want to relocate (or the bees or if a miracle happens and the wind is strong enough to fly their seeds somewhere else).

 _“Yes! This is our chance! Absolutely_ do not _tell your crush to apologize, Renjun! It will forever be the age of the daisy!”_

A pout graces Jaemin’s face when he realizes Renjun’s glum expression. “Are you sure? I think I created more work for the Gardening Club.”

_“Apologize!”_

_“Just because he’s pretty doesn’t mean you can just let him get away with hurting us, Renjun!”_

_“No, Renjun! Don’t tell him to apologize!”_

_“Apologize!”_

Renjun hangs his head in defeat and bites his lip, the blush still dusting his cheeks. “It’s really okay. But maybe… an apology?”

Jaemin’s smile twitches and he chuckles nervously. It takes a while for Renjun to realize what he said and he brings his hands up in defense.

“I mean to the plants! You didn’t even hurt me or anything so you don't have to apologize to me.” 

“Sure!” Jaemin laughs, the sound like soothing bells in the wind. Renjun sighs inwardly as he watches the graceful football player walk up to the poppies and crouch beside Donghyuck, who startles and steps back immediately, looking back at Renjun with wide eyes.

Renjun rolls his eyes at Donghyuck before setting his eyes upon Jaemin once again.

“Um, I’m sorry, uh,” Jaemin hesitates before continuing, “flowers.”

A chorus of offended gasps ring out around the garden. It’s loud and Renjun winces.

_“The pretty boy doesn’t know his flowers!”_

_“Hah! Serves you right, poppies! You’re not popular at all! Unlike me,_ the _daisyㅡ”_

_“This is a disgrace! He’s as pretty as a rose but he’s clueless about the joys of gardening! You really can’t have it all, can you?”_

_“Dump his beautiful ass, Renjun!”_

“Thank you for apologizing,” Renjun says with a tight smile as he tries his best to block out the plants and before he could correct the marigolds that he can’t “dump” Jaemin’s ass because they were never together in the first place.

“No problem. It was my fault anyway. And hey,” Jaemin looks away briefly before turning back to Renjun with a kind look.

“Jaemin, what’re you doing? Get your ass back here! Practice is starting again soon!”

Jaemin peers over his shoulder and holds up a hand to signal that he just needs a minute and that he’ll be right back. Probably.

Renjun tilts his head, waiting for Jaemin to continue. Jaemin looks down and fiddles with his ball.

“If you need any help with… growing the flowers, I can help. Just tell me whenever.”

Renjun stares at the other boy, heart beating fast and his jaw slightly agape. Now, _this_ feels like a dream. Forget the talking to plants thing and the fact that Na Jaemin doesn’t know a single thing about gardening and focus on this: Na Jaemin asking to spend time with him.

Well, he didn’t explicitly say that. But it’s implied. Somewhat.

Anyway.

Wow. Renjun feels starstruck somehow.

So he just says in what he hopes is a casual tone, “Yeah. Sure.”

Jaemin cocks his head and gives him a smile. “Well then, see you around?”

Renjun’s heart melts. “Yeah, see you.”

“That was awkward and dry as fuck,” Donghyuck says and slinks back to Renjun once Jaemin leaves. They both watch the football player return to his natural habitat. “Probably didn’t help that your face is covered by dirt, too.”

“What?”

Renjun freezes, all the warmth gone as he turns to Donghyuck rabidly, his fingers touching the dried clumps of mud on his face. Donghyuck laughs hysterically, clutching at his stomach and tears on the brink of running down his face once he sees the look of horror on Renjun’s face.

This has _got_ to be the worst.

🌱

It’s well after school hours and Renjun is relaxing in the Gardening Club’s club room.

Well, relaxing isn’t really appropriate because all he’s doing is _not_ relaxing.

 _“I don’t understand why humans hate me,”_ a pot of bell peppers Renjun had been preparing to add to the garden sniffles in front of him.

Renjun has the pot on top of the table. He’s been prepping the bell pepper physically _and_ mentally to be transferred to a new batch of soil but it seems to be having some self-esteem issues.

(And, god, if only Renjun were talking about actual people but nope. He’s talking about bell peppers with issues.)

“Humans don’t hate you,” Renjun tries to soothe the crying bell peppers.

 _“You can’t fool me, kid,”_ the gruff voice says. _“The previous lady who took care of me was the only one who loved me. Her kids didn’t like me, they didn’t want to eat me.”_

“I’m sure they did,” Renjun bites his lips. He’s trying so so hard. The Home Economics teacher will probably get mad if he doesn’t plant this bell pepper and make it flourish. “They just haven’t realized it yet. Were they small kids? Little kids usually don’t take their vegetables well.”

 _“No! You don’t understand! You don’t understand how much they showed that they hate me,”_ the plant shudders, leaves bouncing. “ _They gave me these… looks. Like they’re disgusted with me! They don’t appreciate my existence in this cold and cruel world!”_

“No no! Don’t give up!” Renjun hastens to say as he spots a few leaves from the plant wither and fall on top of the table. Dammit, why is this so hard?

“I’m sure someone out there isn’t disgusted by you! Look, you said your previous owner likes you right? That’s one person. I like you too! Now, that’s two!”

Renjun’s been smiling to maintain an optimistic attitude but he can feel it slipping. He can also feel his sanity and patience slipping but, hey, what’s new?

 _“I guess,”_ the plant sniffs again, calming down a little. _“But that’s not enough! Why did I have to be a bell pepper? Why am I not a potato? Or a mint leaf? If I were mint, at least humans will always use me to clean their mouths or to make their food look beautiful!”_

Oh god. Maybe he does need Hyuck’s help for this. Maybe another person liking bell pepper would appease the vegetable-parading fruit (because let’s face it, bell peppers _may_ be fruits but are people really okay with that? Renjun, for one, isn’t.)

So Renjun pulls out his phone and opens a message to send to Hyuck. He’s typing away when he realizes that the other is probably at swimming practice with the meet coming up and all.

He sighs and puts his phone down.

_“Why am I not beautiful and tasty enough?”_

The wailing is getting louder. Renjun has to step up his plant therapist (pfft) skills if he wants that extra HomeEc credit.

“Listen,” Renjun grabs the pot with both hands and pulls it closer to him, eyes staring intensely at an area of the bulbous fruit Renjun’s sure the eyes would’ve been if the fruit had eyes. The fruit plant quiets down. “You are beautiful. And delicious and _needed_. A lot of people love you! Heck, there are probably people who can’t live without you! You are more than enough.”

Renjun is giving so much to this speech, he could cry. He hopes that the emotion carries through to the damn fruit because what he’s saying is all true. If only the fruit could see that. He sniffles (much to his chagrin) and lifts a hand to wipe away the tears threatening to spill.

Why is he getting so emotional over a stupid fruit?

“Um, hello?”

Renjun jumps to the high heavens, his heart leaping with the intensity of a track and field olympian athlete. Who the hell?

He turns and his heart stops. Nononononononoㅡ

“Not to be nosy or anything, but who’re you talking to?”

Na Jaemin is standing at the doorway, his head tilted to the side and his chestnut hair in disarray. His brown eyes are wide, innocent and questioning.

Renjun tries not to stare at the way the first few buttons of his uniform are unbuttoned, accentuating his slender neck. No, he will _not_ stare.

There’s a moment of silence as Renjun digests the current situation. Jaemin had just heard and seen him talk to a freaking plant. Or no, maybe he just came in? It doesn’t really matter because Renjun should still try to cover this situation up as much as possible.

Lightning fast (because Renjun’s sense of self-preservation is through the roof right now), he grabs his phone and brings it up to his ear. He laughs nervously into his phone that is clearly not turned on.

“Yes, Donghyuck. You’ve got this!” Renjun encourages with a passion of a thousand suns, speaking into his smartphone. Acting looks good on him, Renjun thinks. He ought to give it a try someday. “Remember this: You are _more_ than enough.”

Then, as an aspiring actor, he turns to Jaemin with a concentrating face (as if he’s really listening intently to someone speaking over the phone) and holds up his pointer finger to ask Jaemin to give him a minute. Jaemin blinks, confused for a second, before he breaks into an uneasy smile and nods. Renjun’s sure that Jemin isn’t entirely convinced but he pushes through anyway. He has to at least finish through with this act.

“Alright, see you later! Bye, Hyuck!” Renjun would bow for his amazing performance if he could but he just drops his hand and pockets his phone. Then he turns to Jaemin with a small, nervous laugh.

“So sorry about that!” He says, his heart in his throat. “I was talking to my friend over the phone.”

Jaemin’s perfect eyebrows knit together in a brief display of uncertainty before relaxing. Renjun figures Jaemin’s just denied his initial assumptions about what had just transpired and had overwritten it with the fact that, maybe, Renjun was just talking to his friend on the phone all along and was most certainly _not_ talking to a pot of bell peppers.

“Uh, I see,” the football player walks in the room and Renjun belatedly notices the stack of papers clutched in his hand. Jaemin must’ve noticed Renjun’s stare because he comes closer to lay the stack of papers on the table in front of Renjun. “Markㅡyou know, the student council presidentㅡasked me for a favor if I could go around the different clubs and give them the memo for the different culminating activities happening this month.”

Renjun nods wordlessly, ignoring the gloomy sighs emanating from the fruit in front of him. He reaches out to study the document and scans it quickly, confirming what Jaemin just said.

“And so, here I am,” Jaemin chuckles and angels are coming down from the heavens to play music in accompaniment.

“And so, here you are,” Renjun smiles at him, feeling his ears turn red when the other smiles back.

“So, you’re the president of the Gardening Club?” Jaemin asks with a twinkle in his eyes.

_“Hey, kid, d’ya like this human or what?”_

Renjun’s lip twitches. Of course the fruit can sense the change in his emotions.

“Yeah, I am,” Renjun replies, nodding his head. “Why?”

Jaemin shakes his head. “Nothing. It’s just… I still feel kinda bad about what I did last week and it just had to happen in the presence of the Gardening Club’s president. I swear my aim is better than that.”

Renjun grimaces inwardly. That had been a chore to fix, negotiating and calming the poppies down and all. But it’s all settled now.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Renjun tells the Jaemin with a light tone. “It didn’t cause much damage, anyway. We’re the Gardening Club so it’s nothing we couldn’t fix. Got to uphold our reputation, you know?”

“Ah yes, the reputation of the _infamous_ Gardening Club,” the football player teases. Renjun quirks an eyebrow at him and smirks. They share a little moment (Renjun’s crying inside).

“Anyway,” Renjun clutches the memo tighter. “Thanks for distributing this.”

“No problem,” Jaemin says, looking a bit shy (which Renjun finds adorable). “And Renjun, right? It was on the document and, uhㅡ that’s your name, right?”

Renjun’s heart skips a beat. “Yeah, it is.”

_“You totally like this human. Huh. Must be nice to feel an emotion like love.”_

“My name’s Jaemin. Nice to officially meet you,” Jaemin sticks his beautifully sculpted hand out.

Of course, Renjun already knows this, but he smiles anyway and slowly clasps his hand around Jaemin’s.

And Renjun wants to melt into a puddle because he’s touching his crush and he never thought this would ever happen because Jaemin is a popular sporty dude and Renjun is quiet and plant-talking dude.

“Nice to meet you too,” Renjun says hopefully not breathlessly and retracts his hand.

 _“Must be nice to_ feel _loved.”_

Renjun grits his teeth when the voice of the bell pepper rings clear again. Oh, right. He has a fruit to take care of. Damn.

“Then, see you around! And again,” Jaemin laughs. “If you need any help, uh, planting and stuff, just tell me! Bye!”

Jaemin’s walking out when Renjun realizes that this is the perfect opportunity.

“Wait! Jaemin!”

Jaemin turns back around.

Renjun bites his lip and side-eyes the bell pepper. It had better be listening. And Jaemin _has_ to like bell peppers, right? He’s an athlete so he has to be all about that ‘healthy living’ shit, right?

(If Jaemin answers contrary to what Renjun thinks he will say, Renjun’s gonna lose it. And maybe revoke his crush card.)

(Ugh, who is he kidding? Renjun will still have a crush on him regardless of his answer.)

“Do you like bell peppers?” Renjun blurts. He feels the fruit listen with rapt attention, so determined to find humans who love him. Renjun hopes that Jaemin does. God, he will do _anything_ to encourage the bell pepper to grow in their garden.

“Uh, yeah. I like them.”

Renjun hears a choked sob coming from the dramatic fruit. Renjun could kiss Jaemin right now. Well, he would. But he can’t. Sadly.

“Thanks for your input, Jaemin,” Renjun chirps, mood definitely in high spirits.

Jaemin smiles and nods. “No problem!”

Once Jaemin exits the room, Renjun turns to the bell pepper with raised eyebrows, trying to gauge the fruit’s reaction.

_“Is this what it feels like to be loved, kid?”_

Score! Renjun’s _so_ getting that HomeEc credit!

🌱

_“Hey, Renjun. Valentine’s Day is coming up soon right? Do you think you’ll be able to get some roses to grow here?”_

_“Did some plant say ‘roses’?”_

_“Oh, I want to meet a rose! I bet they’re lovely and elegant!”_

Renjun huffs and puts more force into the daffodils he’s depotting and transferring into new soil.

“Roses are the opposite of those. And Valentine’s Day is, like, a few months away,” he says amidst the chorus of _‘weeeee’_ s the daffodils are making as Renjun suspends them in mid-air for the transfer.

_“Really?”_

_“Well, we should’ve known. The best flowers, after all, are daisiesㅡ”_

_“You’ve met roses before, Renjun?”_

“Of course I have.”

_“How?”_

_“Are you cheating on us with roses?”_

_“You’re so cruel!”_

Renjun sighs and glares at them all. “There are roses down by the park. I can meet them because I’m, unlike you guys, human and can therefore, walk. And no, I’m not cheating on you all! I can’t evenㅡ how would I evenㅡ?”

“Renjun?”

Renjun blanches and turns around to find Na Jaemin (his, if you didn’t know, crush) standing behind him in his uniform with a ball in his hands, looking as ethereal as the moon on a clear snowy night.

_“Renjun, your crush is back!”_

_“He really feels handsome. For a human.”_

_“Renjun’s blushing again!”_

_“This is too cute!”_

“J-Jaemin!” Renjun shoots up from where he was crouching. “You scared me!”

Renjun makes a mental note to ask the plants why they never warn him everytime Jaemin is approaching the garden.

“Sorry about that,” the football player chuckles and surveys the garden. “I thought you were with someone? I heard you talking so…”

Renjun panics and feels his pulse race a mile a minute. He thinks of all the excuses he could possibly make.

“I was talking to Donghyuck!” He utters, eyes wide. “He, uh, he just left right when you suddenly appeared!”

“Oh really?” Jaemin’s brows furrow. “That’s weird. I didn’t see him at all. We should’ve bumped into each other.”

Renjun’s eyes almost pop out of their sockets. Oh my god, why is Jaemin so hung up on this?

“Maybe you just didn’t see him! Donghyuck’s fast! He’s a swimmer!”

Renjun did _not_ think that through. Swimmers are fast in _water_. They swim. That should not have been the proof he brought up. And it’s evident because Jaemin smiles awkwardly.

“I mean, he’s a swimmer! So, he’s fast _in_ water but! He’s also fast _on_ land! Faster _on_ land, I’d say. It’s strange now that I think about it. Because he’s like The Flash on land! I wonder why he chose swimming as his sport,” Renjun adds a nervous chuckle after his grand speech about Donghyuck’s speed of traveling and how it depends on geography (or is it topography?). Blood is rushing up his face like a reverse water silde and he really thinks that his friendship with Jaemin is as good as over (all the smiles, small waves, and ‘ _hey_ ’s they’ve exchanged along the hallwaysㅡnever again to be experienced by Renjun) when Jaemin does something Renjun did not expect.

Jaemin blinks. Then his eyebrows wrinkle and he pouts, humming thoughtfully. “Maybe Donghyuck chose to swim because he wanted to train himself to see if he could be even faster in water?”

Jaemin humoring Renjun would be his death. Because Jaemin is kind and friendly and always thinks the best of the people he meets. Renjun feels so blessed to be in the presence of an angel.

Eternally grateful, Renjun laughs brightly and claps his hands together. “You’re absolutely right! Donghyuck’s smart so that makes sense!”

“Yeah,” Jaemin laughs along, staring too intensely at Renjun that Renjun has to briefly break eye contact with the other boy to calm his rapidly beating heart.

_“Nice dodge, Renjun!”_

_“I don’t think he suspects that you can talk to us at all!”_

That statement causes Renjun’s eyebrow to twitch. Was that sarcasm or not? Honestly, Renjun could never tell. Plants haven’t really mastered the art of sarcasm much like humans have.

“Anyway,” Renjun clears his throat, peeling off his gardening gloves. “What brings you here, Jaemin? Did Mark ask you for another favor again?”

Jaemin smiles and shakes his head, his eyes darker than usual. “Nah. Football practice ended early so I decided to drop by and help?”

Jaemin says it like it’s a question and Renjun doesn’t know how to answer. Well, it’s true that Renjun needs help with his task (all the other members were done with theirs and asked permission tp leave early) but Donghyuck will be coming by in a while to help anyway.

So, Renjun doesn’t really need help right now.

“Sure. I need all the help I can get,” Renjun says enthusiastically, hoping that he didn’t come off too eager.

During the first few weeks of Renjun’s friendship with his crush, he’d seen Jaemin as the more assertive one between the two of them. Renjun could still hardly believe that he was now friends with his crush, which resulted in tons of awkward moments and bouts of nervousness that Renjun wishes he could erase from his memories. Donghyuck’s been teasing him about it (being the only other person who knows of Renjun’s crush) but it Renjun remains unbothered because he swears all they’ll ever be is the hey-what’s-up-along-the-hallways type of friends.

And lately, he can already act semi-normal in front of the football player. He doesn’t even stutter as much now.

“Great!” Jaemin lights up like a sunrise and moves closer to Renjun. “I don’t know much about plants and I’ve never done any gardening before so I don’t think I’m much help. But I still want to help as much as I can.”

“You don’t have to force yourself, Jaemin,” Renjun laughs as he hands a watering can to Jaemin. The boy grasps it gingerly.

“But I want to learn, too.”

Renjun smiles at the other warmly. “Alright. I’ll make your thumb grow green in color, just you wait.”

Jaemin laughs. “I can’t wait. I’m really excited for what the _infamous_ Gardening Club has in store for me.”

“Alright, young padawan. This is what you call a watering can. You use it to water the plants.”

“Oh, of course,” Jaemin nods so seriously, prompting Renjun to laugh again.

_“Ah, young love.”_

_“Our Renjun is growing up so well.”_

_“I bet that this is the first time the pretty ball boy has held a watering can.”_

_“They’re so cute.”_

Renjun ignores the gossipmongering the flowers are doing and continues to familiarize Jaemin with the different tools and areas of the garden. They laugh and talk about everything from Renjun’s favorite plant (he loves cactuses because their wit and humor are as sharp as their needles so they're less annoying but of course he doesn't say the wit ans humor part) to why Jaemin likes his position on the football team (midfielder because it’s the most versatile and it requires the most running).

Renjun’s showing him the area for the vegetable plants (they swoon and giggle as they pass because they find Renjun and Jaemin _‘cute’_ ) when Donghyuck appears behind them, out of breath and red in the face.

“Sorry, Jun, swimming practice ran late and Iㅡ”

Donghyuck’s eyes widen.

Renjun stills.

Jaemin stops in his tracks.

Renjun’s mind is breaking down and the chaos that’s happening inside his head sounds like this: _Donghyuck’s here which is bad because Renjun just told Jaemin that Donghyuck just left and so, Jaemin would think he’s lying because Donghyuck just fucking announced that swimming practice ran late which means that Donghyuck couldn’t have been here a while ago because he was at swimming practice and now Jaemin is going to figure out that he can talk to plants or worse, think that Renjun is batshit crazy for talking to himself._

Jaemin, as amazing as ever, breaks the silence first. “You’re Donghyuck, right? Nice to meet you! I’m Jaemin.”

“Yeah. Nice to meet you,” Hyuck says awkwardly, shooting Renjun a look that promises they will have to talk later. Renjun frowns at him because they have nothing to talk about?

“You came back?” Jaemin asks.

“Huh?” Donghyuck replies eloquently before shooting Renjun a more pointed look. Okay, so they _do_ have something to talk about later.

“Renjun said you were here awhile ago?” Jaemin says happily, unaware of the world of pain he’s causing Renjun. Ignorance really is bliss. “Sneaking in a bit of Gardening Club work before practice? Now that’s what I call dedication!”

_“Oooh. This is getting interesting.”_

_“Wonder how Renjun’s gonna get out of this one.”_

“Yeah, Donghyuck’s the most dedicated guy I know!” Renjun chuckles nervously, grabbing Donghyuck by the arm and pulling the other towards him to sling his arm around his neck as if to show that _hey, this is my best buddy! My best buddy who is as dedicated as can be!_

_“And he does it! He saves himself!”_

_“Renjun’s doing good so far, don’t you agree?”_

One day, Renjun swears he’s gonna bring a fuckton of roses and let the plants in the garden interact with them and see how they’ll like being used for entertainment.

“Awesome,” Jaemin’s eyes fall to the lack of space between the best friends for a second before he brightens up again. “Renjun was just teaching me the basics of gardening because I told him I wanted to help. Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah. Super cool,” Donghyuck says a tad too jovially and copies Renjun, putting an arm around the other’s shoulders. Jaemin’s eyes flicker to Donghyuck’s arm. “So, this is your first time gardening?”

“Yeah,” Jaemin nods. Donghyuck hums and untangles himself from Renjun but not before giving Renjun a tiny pat on the head. Renjun frowns at the motion and swats at Donghyuck who yelps and scuttles away to Jaemin’s side. Jaemin watches the interaction silently but smiles when Donghyuck turns to him.

“And whatㅡ or who, I don’t judgeㅡ exactly made you want to try gardening?” Donghyuck asks like a therapist with a client lying down in front of him. The question catches Jaemin off guard. “I mean, football boys like you tend to stay on your side of the field while _we,_ flower boys, do some amazing gardening on the other. What’s up with this?”

Renjun’s staring at Donghyuck like he just grew three heads _and_ another arm, confused and aghast at the same time. What is he doing?

“What are you doing?” Renjun hisses at Donghyuck, tugging the loud-mouthed boy back to his side.

“Hey, stop grabbing me like that!”

“Well, I would if you’d just behave!”

_“I’m with Donghyuck on this one.”_

_“Me too!”_

_“I like Donghyuck. He feels like the sun somehow.”_

_“Let the boy ask more questions!”_

There’s a lot of shouting going on in Renjun’s head that, in the midst of the internal pandemonium, Renjun didn’t realize that Jaemin’s phone had rung.

Renjun feels a warm hand on his shoulder. Renjun reluctantly withdraws from his staring battle with Donghyuck to look at Jaemin.

“Renjun, I have to go. The guys are calling me,” Jaemin says, apologetic. “This was nice. I’ll come again soon, yeah?”

“Sure,” Renjun says. “See you around?”

“You know you will,” Jaemin says slightly flirtatiously (actually, Renjun’s not sure about this one because he’s still debating whether he actually imagined it or not) and winks at him (okay, so this all might be real). Renjun blushes immediately, thankful that Jaemin has his back turned already so the other couldn’t see the effect his wink has on Renjun.

_“Ohhhh pretty boy’s got some moves.”_

_“Cute!"_

Renjun hears a snicker beside him. He shoots Donghyuck a glare and punches him on the shoulder.

“Ow! That’s my swimming shoulder!”

“News flash, Hyuck: you use both of your shoulders to swim!”

"Exactly!"

Renjun stomps away to continue his daffodil work, but before he could step away Donghyuck pulls him right back. “Can we please stop grabbing each other? Like damn!”

“You started it!”

Renjun stills because he’s right. “Okay, I’m sorry. Now can we get started on the daffodils? I was kinda in the middle of doing that when Jaemin came around.”

“Yeah, and let’s talk about Jaemin, shall we?” Donghyuck has a predatory glint in his eyes. Renjun knows that hungry gleam, the eyes of a predator that has scented its prey. Or a media reporter that just caught wind of scandal.

Renjun isn't a big fan of that look.

_“Again, I’m with Donghyuck on this one!”_

_“Yes! Let’s talk about Renjun’s crush!”_

Exasperated, Renjun turns on the plants. “Guys, you aren’t a part of this conversation. So can you all, like, shut up?”

The plants huff and groan but comply. Thank god. Donghyuck raises his eyebrow, his eyes still gleaming.

“How about we don’t talk about him and just continue with our club work?” Renjun retorts weakly, feeling his own fight die down in him. There’s only one way to deal with this particular mood of his friend and that is to deal with it with the fortitude and grace of a bamboo tree in the midst of adversity.

And Donghyuck knows Renjun’s losing at this game because he crosses his arms and says, “So what was that about me sneaking in some gardening before practice? Did Jaemin almost catch you talking to plants again?”

Renjun sighs in defeat and drops down to a crouch beside the vegetable patch, his hands in his hair as he says weakly, “Yes.”

Donghyuck snorts which trinkles into annoying laughter. “Oh, man. This is too great!”

Renjun looks up and shoots him a glare. “No it isn’t! I’m finally friends with him, Hyuck! What if he finds out and decides that I’m a freak and ignores me forever?”

Donghyuck stops laughing immediately and shoots Renjun a concerned look. “Jun, you’re not a freak. Jaemin’s a cool guy, he’ll accept you if you ever decide to tell him. And if he doesn’t, then he’ll have to go through me.”

Renjun hears a sniffle coming from the daisies and his frown relaxes into a small smile. Hyuck’s an angel, really. “Thanks, Hyuck.”

“Uh-huh. I really stand by that, too, you know. Jaemin’s cool, he won’t think you're weird or anything. He’s understanding too. I think,” Donghyuck adds the last bit as an afterthought.

“You think?” Renjun says drily.

“Yes, I think,” Donghyuck smiles smugly. Renjun narrows his eyes at him.

“And I also think that maybe there’s a little,” Donghyuck wiggles his eyebrows and fingers at Renjun, “ _something_ going on between you and Na.”

Renjun raises an eyebrow and blushes at the same time. Hyuck’s crazy (so very crazy). Jaemin sees Renjun as a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Well, _I_ think you’re wrong. There will never be a little,” Renjun wiggles his own fingers at Donghyuck, “ _something_ going on between me and Na.”

“Hm, yeah, sure,” Donghyuck huffs. “Tell me something I will _actually_ believe.”

“No,” Renjun counters and stands up to walk to the daffodils. “Now, stop dawdling and start working!”

“Alright, jeez,” Donghyuck raises his arms in defense before walking to Renjun. “I’ll just have you know that I feel like the fates are telling you that you’re going to have to tell Jaemin about your gift eventually. He’s been popping up at most random yet perfect times. That’s gotta mean something.”

“Hm, yeah, sure. Tell me something I will _actually_ believe,” Renjun rolls his eyes and mimics the tone Donghyuck had used.

“Oh, fuck off!"

🌱

Well, it turns out Donghyuck was actually rightㅡ he’s got to tell Jaemin eventually.

And he did.

And it all started with an invitation.

*

Renjun is standing just on the edge of the football field, listening to the bushes and the trees gossip to each other. He’s waiting for Donghyuck, who sneaked out of class to go and buy their favorite popsicle from the nearest convenience store.

(Sneaking out is definitely not allowed but Renjun thinks high school is all about, you know, breaking the rules and living life to the fullest. It doesn’t help that his best friend is Lee Donghyuck, notorious rebel bad boy-wannabe.)

Renjun snickers when the conversation between the bushes turns juicy. He’s listening so intently that he doesn’t notice Jaemin approaching.

“Renjun!”

Renjun jumps a few inches before whirling towards the new voice.

“Jaemin, hey!”

Na Jaemin (his crush) is walking towards him, his chestnut hair shining under the glare of the sun. His jersey shirt is billowing against the wind, a towel wrapped around his shoulders. He’s waving his hand, probably had been trying to catch Renjun’s attention from all the way across the field.

Their friendship had progressed greatly over the past few weeks. They weren’t just saying hi to each other along the hallways or waving at each other across the field. Jaemin had been visiting the Gardening Club every other day, trying to offer any kind of help he can. The members accommodated him warmly, conscious of the football player’s popularity. They’ve been mostly asking him to do the more laborious tasks, taking advantage of his athleticism. Renjun thinks he’s trained his members well.

“What’re you doing out here?” Jaemin says once he’s in front of Renjun, his voice slightly rough from training.

“Can you keep a secret?” Renjun leans in and whispers conspiratorially.

Jaemin grins, his eyes bright. “Let me guess, Donghyuck snuck out the back gate again?”

Renjun straightens, his mouth agape. “You knew?”

“The gate could be seen from the field, Junnie,” Jaemin chuckles. Renjun feels his cheeks warm at the use of the nickname. “We see him go out almost every week only to come back with some ice cream.”

“Hyuck’s not as slick as he thinks he is, huh?” Renjun says, cackling slightly.

“Yeah, he really isn’t,” Jaemin grins. Renjun grins back. And they’re both grinning at each other and staring into each other’s eyes (and oh my god, Renjun is on fucking cloud nine right now).

Then Jaemin breaks eye-contact and ducks his head down, a hand fiddling with the towel around his neck. He clears his throat, getting shy.

“Anyway,” Jaemin starts. “Uh, I was wondering if you're free tomorrow? After school?”

Renjun’s heart responds in thunderous beating. What… what is he saying? Is thisㅡ

No, Renjun. Don’t get ahead of yourself now. It’s probably just nothing. (Though Renjun would be lying if he just wanted it to be nothing.)

“Yeah. I am, actually. Why?” Renjun says slowly but surely, keeping his thoughts in check.

“Nice! You see, there’s a friendly match tomorrow and I wanted to invite you. To watch. Without me of course cause I’ll be playing. So...” Jaemin is being so uncharacteristically shy, it had Renjun blushing twice as much.

“Oh, sure! I haven’t actually seen you play a match,” Renjun says because it’s true. He’s been a spectator of plenty of practice matches but it’s always been the team grouping themselves and shuffling around so it doesn’t really count. (Yes, they don’t count as real matches.)

“Awesome!” Jaemin visibly relaxes, his posture not taut anymore. “You can bring Hyuck, too, if you want! I mean, everyone’s free to watch cause there’re no tickets and stuff but I just really want you to come.”

Oh, calm down, Renjun’s poor heart.

Renjun wants to squeal because Jaemin (crush) wants him to come to his match tomorrow. Jaemin wanted _him._ Him, as in Renjun. He feels butterflies flutter in his stomach.

“I’ll be there,” Renjun laughs and he hopes to all the supreme beings in the world that it doesn’t come out nervous and awkward.

*

So there Renjun is, sitting on the bleachers the next day. He’s searching the area (which is kinda crowded, not gonna lie) for Donghyuck who just had to grab something quick before the match. Renjun had asked him if there would be swimming practice but the other just shrugged him off which makes Renjun think that he does have practice and he’s just blowing it off to watch Lee Jeno (football team captain) prance around in tight shorts.

Finally, Renjun spots him holding a… pot?

“What is this?” Renjun gestures towards the pot in Donghyuck’s hands.

“This, my friend, is a pot,” Donghyuck grins haughtily.

“I know that, dumbass,” Renjun snorts. “What are you doing with one?”

Donghyuck laughs while taking a seat beside Renjun. “I was supposed to give it to you a while ago but I forgot so I’m giving it to you now.”

_“Oh my soil, so many humans. How utterly lovely.”_

The posh accent floats around in Renjun’s mind. It’s disgustingly high-pitched and so goddamn annoying Renjun can identify it anywhere. Is thatㅡ

“You brought a rose?” Renjun asks, deeply offended. “You brought a fucking rose? Do you hate me, Hyuck, is that it?”

“And what if I do? Whatcha gonna do about it?” Donghyuck juts his jaw out in mock provocation.

Renjun slaps his arm.

“Ow! What the hell, Jun?”

“That’s what you get for bringing me this horrid plant,” Renjun stares balefully at the dazzling plant.

“You know, I really can’t believe you hate roses. They’re so pretty.”

“Well, you’re not the one who can talk to them now, are you?” Renjun deadpans, giving Donghyuck a look.

“Ok, gosh. Just thought it’d be perfect for a Valentine’s Day event.”

“What would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day event?”

Both Renjun and Donghyuck turn simultaneously.

The chatter among the crowd has gotten louder and maybe it’s because Na Jaemin just walked up to the bleachers. (Who is he kidding, of course it’s because Na Jaemin just walked up the bleachers to talk to two guys who clearly haven’t watched a football game before.)

“Jaemin! What’s up, dude?” Donghyuck greets, hand up for a high-five. “Jun and I were just talking about selling roses for Valentine’s Day.”

Jaemin returns the high-five and smiles. “That sounds awesome! Do you like roses, Renjun?”

Donghyuck clasps a hand around Renjun’s arm and squeezes. His eyes are shining as if he’s spotted something very interesting. “Sadly, he doesn’t really care for them. Why do you want to know?”

Renjun shoots Donghyuck a glare before turning to Jaemin. “Hey, Jaemin! Don’t mind Hyuck he’s just being an idiot as per usual.”

_“Oh, this is tremendously exciting!”_

Renjun pauses at the rose’s voice. He forgot about her. Damn.

“So, Na, what brings you here?” Donghyuck squeezes Renjun’s forearm again, squinting his eyes at Jaemin.

“Just wanted to ask if I could talk to Renjun after the game,” Jaemin smiles wider and Renjun swears he could hear sighs and giggles around him. Because he might also be giggling and sighing and swooning internally.

Donghyuck goes silent for approximately five seconds before laughing. “He acceptsㅡ”

“Who are you, my spokesperson?”

“ㅡbut only _if,_ ” Donghyuck ignores Renjun and fixes Jaemin a stare, his smile wicked, “you guys win the game.”

Jaemin freezes. Renjun’s jaw drops. “Hyuck, shut upㅡ”

“Done.”

Renjun’s jaw drops even lower. Jaemin smirks.

“Don’t take your eyes off of me, Junnie,” Jaemin says to Renjun and backs away to go back to the field. “This game is for you.”

Then he winks. And Renjun explodes. His entire body is warm and he doesn’t know if that _just_ happened or not. Because wow.

Donghyuck cackles and hoots.

Renjun shoots an arm out to push him off the bleachers.

“Oof!”

*

_“Tell me, my dear, did your boy win?”_

Renjun groans. The roses are much more vain _and_ annoying than the daisies. Why did Donghyuck have to give this to him during the match?

“What’s wrong with you?” Donghyuck says, his eyes never leaving the field (or Lee Jeno’s figure but whatever). “Our team just won! And your man just killed it out there! Show some school spirit!”

“Jaemin is not my ‘man’,” Renjun starts trying his best to block out the freaking rose. “And the rose is so loud and annoying, I really can’t be bothered to celebrate.”

“Woops,” Donghyuck smiles sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Not like it matters anyway, the team just won and you get to have a _talk_ with lover boy. All’s good and well, my dude.”

Renjun just looks at him, empty and dead inside. Urgh, he feels a headache coming on.

It doesn’t deter the other boy. “Well, I’ve got to dash to the pool! I can’t wait to get yelled at by coach. See you, Junnie, and stay safe! Use protection!”

“Whaㅡ Get out of here, loser!”

Donghyuck leaves and dashes down the bleachers as fast as the wind. The bleachers are steadily clearing, the energy in the area at an all time high after the win. There are groups of girls on the field surrounding the players. Renjun figures he’ll have to wait for Jaemin for quite a while.

Renjun huffs and glares at the rose.

 _“Ohhhh. Are you excited for this little talk you’re going to be having? Oh, but of course you are! You’re in the presence of such an_ exquisite _rose such as myselfㅡ”_

Renjun sighs, wishing desperately for the rose to shut up especially for the talk he’s gonna be having with Jaemin. During the match, the rose just wouldn’t shut the hell up, asking about how human ball games work. Look, Renjun doesn’t really mind the questions but only if he can _actually_ answer them. Renjun doesn’t know jack shit about football. So pair him up with an infuriating self-absorbed rose and his lack of knowledge of the situation happening in front of him then you get an Angry Renjun.

So he talks to the rose, not caring whether he has an audience or not (because the bleachers are empty now). Anything to make it shut up. Please.

“Hey, listen, rose,” Renjun clears his throat. “I know you love yourself so much and all and lookㅡ I don’t judgeㅡ but just. Can you keep it down later? Like I kinda have to talk to someone about something important. Probably.”

_“Oh, of course! Is this the talk with the one you are besotted with?”_

“I wouldn’t say besotted, really, but sure.”

_“Say no more, my dear! I’ll just sit here tall and pretty and aid you whenever you are in dire need of help.”_

“Oh, you don’t have to helpㅡ”

 _“I am, after all, a_ rose. _I’m well acquainted with confessions and any type of confrontation, really. There was this one instance whereㅡ”_

“I don’t really want to know what happenedㅡ”

 _“ㅡand it was absolutely_ devastating _! She wouldn’t even eat her soup and just walked around like the deadㅡ”_

“Okay, I get it.”

_“ㅡbut then this strange man just jumps off the carriage and immediately stabs the other man! Blood was gushing about everywhere, on my petals and on the seats! It was horrifying to say the leastㅡ”_

“Alright! That’s enough!”

Renjun’s closing his eyes and massaging his temples, trying to control his emotions.

“Renjun?”

One day, Renjun is gonna die and it’s gonna be because Na Jaemin kept on scaring him shitless.

“Jaemin. Ha,” Renjun drags out the last vowel, his mind on overdrive trying to come up with an excuse as to who he’s talking to. He can’t bring up his phone in the same quick manner he did last time because his phone is inside his bag. Damn.

Jaemin is standing there behind him, his hand clutching a water bottle and a towel slung over his shoulder. He’s still sweating, his bangs sticking to his forehead.

Renjun gulps. “How… how long have you been standing there?”

“For about… a minute or two,” Jaemin hesitates. “I thought you were talking to someone so I was waiting. Then I realized that you were all alone and…”

This is it. This is where it all ends. It was great while it lasted.

This is all Donghyuck's fault. Why did he have to bring this stupid rose during the game?

Renjun closes his eyes in preparation. You know what? Fuck it. He’s gonna rip off the band-aid in one big flourish.

“Jaemin,” Renjun exhales. “I have to tell you something.”

Jaemin nods, his face still friendly but there’s an underlying glacier of inner turmoil (and it hurts because Renjun can almost imagine that friendly look turning into a look of disgust and disinterest). Oh god.

“Sure,” Jaemin takes a seat beside him, taking his towel and running it through his hair to dry it off. Renjun drinks him all in one last time (Renjun cries inside)ㅡ from his brown hair that is curling at the tips because of his sweat, to the soft brown pools of his eyes, to the muscles of his forearms and biceps as he raises his hands over his head.

Renjun draws one last breath before he takes the leap.

“I can talk to plants.”

There’s an expected silence. And it stretches for a while before Renjun really drives it home.

“Well, it’s more like I can communicate with them with not only my words but also emotions? And I'm not a telepath, so I can't speak to them with my mind. And that’s what you heard a while ago. I was talking to the rose in this pot,” Renjun pats the pot beside him for maximum effect. And the rose, sensing his chaotic emotions, remains silent and stays as still as a mountain. Thank fuck.

Jaemin’s biting his lips, his eyebrows knitted together. His hands are fiddling with his water bottle. He’s gonna turn him away anytime now. Renjun feels his stomach drop.

“That’sㅡ”

“I know, you think I’m a freak and don’t want to be associated with me anymore. So, I’ll just take my stupid plant with me and go.”

Trying not to cry, he cradles the pot in his arms and makes a move to stand up but before he could rise to his full height, Jaemin grabs his arm.

“Renjun,” Jaemin’s tone is warm like a summer afternoon and so patient, Renjun shakes. “I don’t think you’re a freak and I won’t stop being your friend just because you can...talk to plants.”

Renjun stills, his breath catching in his throat.

“I was about to say that you talking to plants is amazing,” Jaemin’s eyes are twinkling like the stars and Renjun feels like he’s been taken to the moon. “I’ve never heard of someone being able to do that so I was really shocked at first. But then it’d make sense, right? The garden of the club is always in full bloom and the plants just always look so healthy and pretty. Pretty like you. ”

“Oh.”

Don’t cry, Renjun, don’t cry.

A grin blossoms on Jaemin’s face. “Yeah. ‘ _Oh’._ Anyway, I’ll just ignore the fact that you thought so badly of me that you’d think I’d think you’re a freak.”

Then Jaemin pouts and everything hits Renjun full force. Jaemin isn’t breaking off their friendship. He accepts Renjun. Donghyuck was right (it loathes Renjun to admit that he’s always right).

Renjun doesn’t realize that he’s been _not_ breathing for the last couple of seconds so he exhales very deeply, feeling his system kind of work again. Oh fuck, everything seems so unreal.

“Thank you,” Renjun says after a while, his smile infinitely grateful and his tone, just maybe, a little bit enamored.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything, Junnie. I believe you,” Jaemin is looking at him kindly, his features softening. “I kind of want to know who else knows though.”

Renjun smiles, perking up. The hard part is now over. “Oh! There’s my family because this ability is kind of like a family thing, Donghyuck, and now, you.”

Jaemin smiles wide and raises his eyebrow. “Your family, Donghyuck, and then me? I feel kinda special.”

Renjun holds himself back from saying _you are_ and just hums.

“Then I guess we’ve taken a significant step in this _thing_ of ours.”

“Yeah, we haㅡ,” Renjun stops once he registers what Jaemin just said. Jaemin grins.

“W-what?” Renjun splutters, his heart beating fast. “Our ‘ _thing_ ’?”

“Renjun,” Jaemin cocks his head in that attractive, confident manner of his. “I wanted to talk to you after the match so I could ask if you’re free tomorrow.”

Renjun squints at him. “You guys have another practice match tomorrow? But it’s a Saturday?”

Jaemin blinks. Then he throws his head back, laughing. Renjun blushes and looks away, huffing.

“Jun, have you ever considered that I’m asking you out? On a date?”

The word ‘date’ echoes around Renjun’s currently empty brain.

“Date?” He squeaks, then noticing himself slipping, he tries to regain his composure (because bells are ringing in his head because this seems so unreal to him he might actually faint). “So do you, like… _like_ me or something?”

“I actually invited you to watch the game, hoping that you’d fall for me,” Jaemin says unabashedly and straightforwardly.

“But I already like you,” Renjun thinks but then blanches. Did he just say that out loud?

Jaemin chuckles and it’s like fireworks are popping off around him because what Jaemin says next is something Renjun thought would never leave Jaemin’s lips.

“I like you too.”

Renjun is left breathless. And he feels like he’s floating.

“So, are you free tomorrow? For a date?”

Renjun smiles at Jaemin so widely, his cheeks start to ache. But it doesn’t matter because Jaemin is staring at him like he just hung all the stars in the sky. Which is crazy because it’s a look he’d never thought he’d get from the football player.

“Yes.”

Then Renjun hears loud shrieking. He flinches and almost falls off the bleachers. Jaemin quickly reaches out for him and steadies him, a frown on his face. “Renjun? What happened?”

_“Oh my goodness! That was so incredibly sweet and such a joy to behold! Ah, the treasure of youth and the art of the soul! Simply marvelous!”_

Renjun sighs, mourning the loss of the moment. Leave it to the rose to ruin everything.

“It’s the rose. It’s being so loud.”

“Really?” Jaemin’s tone is laced with curiosity and wonder. “What’s it saying?”

Renjuns blushes. “Nothing you want to know.”

_“Oh, tell him that he did a wonderful job confessing. It might be one of the best I’ve heard. The passion and the trust is just simply amazing!”_

Jaemin’s looking at him, a silly smile on his face.

Renjun smiles. “What is it?”

“You’re so pretty, Jun. And when you blush it’s like my world is lighting up.”

Oh, fuck. Renjun squeaks and immediately covers his face. His voice a bit muffled because of his hands covering his face he whispers, “Why did you just say that? Oh my god.”

Jaemin laughs and brings him in for a hug. “You’re so cute, Junnie.”

 _“Adorable! Utterly adorable! I must inform my other sisters as well! This is a love story they_ don’t _want to miss!”_

“No, don’t tell them!”

Renjun’s arms falter from where they are wrapped around Jaemin’s neck as they hug. “Uh…”

“You were talking to the rose, weren’t you?”

“Yeah…”

“What did it say?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Aw, please?”

“No.”

They’re still hugging each other and Jaemin feels so much like home, Renjun doesn’t want to let go.

Neither of them let go.

“Hey, Jun.”

“What?”

“I like you.”

_“Wonderful! Love is in theㅡ”_

“Shut up!”

A beat of silence passes over them.

“The rose?”

“The rose.”

**Author's Note:**

> not to be confused with the talented band, the rose jshsjsj
> 
> anyway, thank you so much for reading! hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing this. also i hope this can be considered humor because if it cant then imma have to cry because i laughed while writing some parts this is my type of humor so (cries) 
> 
> anyway yeah 10k word vomit the result of me muddling through the ideas in my mind. (and when i told myself this would just gonna be 5k words at most lol clown noises)
> 
> be friends w/ me on twitter? :') [@renminisces](https://twitter.com/renminisces)
> 
> ALSO STREAM RENJUNS FOOLS COVER RENJUN TALENTED RENJUN ACE


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